Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!cbnews!cbnews!military From: jgd@Dixie.Com (John G. DeArmond) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Fuel-Air Explosives Message-ID: <1991Jan23.035540.4193@cbnews.att.com> Date: 23 Jan 91 03:55:40 GMT References: <1991Jan18.003251.8296@cbnews.att.com> <1991Jan19.043207.6295@cbnews.att.com> Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Organization: Rapid Deployment Systems (making go-fast things and things that-go fast) Lines: 33 Approved: military@att.att.com From: jgd@Dixie.Com (John G. DeArmond) cirby@vaxb.acs.unt.edu (((((C.Irby))))) writes: >Fuel-Air Munitions aren't designed to work against hard targets. They >work best versus widely-dispersed soft and medium targets, like infantry, >light buildings, and storage areas. The overpressures involved (someone >mentioned the 300 psi figure) will easily destroy a non-hardened building, >and will kill any unprotected person (and I'd wager that the shock wave >would have a shot at breaking any tank you'll find...) I'm not sure of the overpressure capability of FAEs but it takes a surprisingly small overpressure to do tremendous damage. Again referencing "The Effects of Nuclear Weapons" (and assuming that the FAE explosion would generate an overpressure similiar to a nuke.), 1 psi of overpressure will destroy a frame house, 2 psi will destroy a brick house, 3 psi will damage/tilt a cast concrete house and 4 to 6 psi will lift and move lathes, turn over trucks, smash school busses into the pavement and generally reek havoc. 3 to 5 psi will blow down telephone poles and steel towers. The book has some rather graphic pictures of tests performed in the desert during atmospheric testing. I would think that somewhere in the range of 5 to 7 PSI would probably at least tip a tank and maybe roll it over. John -- John De Armond, WD4OQC | "Purveyors of speed to the Trade" (tm) Rapid Deployment System, Inc. | Home of the Nidgets (tm) Marietta, Ga | {emory,uunet}!rsiatl!jgd |"Politically InCorrect.. And damn proud of it